Interview with Alina Strudza, project leader for the EuroBT Fellowship and member of the education task force of GEC-ESTRO
Can you provide an overview of the EuroBrachytherapy Fellowship and its significance in the field of radiation oncology?
The EuroBrachytherapy (EuroBT) Fellowship programme is an initiative of Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie (GEC)-ESTRO with the endorsement of the ESTRO education council. It is a long-awaited development in this subspeciality of radiation oncology and is a natural milestone for the further progress and future of our speciality.
What motivated the GEC-ESTRO education task force to initiate the EuroBrachytherapy Fellowship, and how does it align with the goals of the ESTRO education council?
Brachytherapy is a well-established radiation technique, the application of which produces very good results in many disease sites. The advent of image-guided adapted brachytherapy, which was developed over the last 20 years, has led to an excellent therapeutic ratio. Additionally, the golden generation of specialists in brachytherapy have retired or are in the process of doing so; therefore there is a foreseeable lack of physicians to continue this fascinating hands-on speciality. Moreover, a survey that was organised by our group showed that current residents in radiation oncology were interested in this field.
Consequently, our task group took on the chore of outlining the requirements, definitions and a standard curriculum in order to create the premises of excellent training in brachytherapy in line with the goals of the ESTRO education council.
Could you elaborate on the training options available within the fellowship, such as the duration and specialisation tracks?
We consider that the minimum time necessary to become well-trained on one organ site is six months; therefore, we offer a six-month fellowship (one organ site at one centre) and a longer fellowship of one to two years, in which the candidate could train on multiple organ sites and at various treatment centres. We offer the fellowship at a limited number of centres at the moment (13). These centres fulfil our GEC-ESTRO task force requirements as centres of excellence in training. There are clear requirements for that, as I explain further down and as seen on the website. In future, we will consider increasing the number of centres if necessary.
The organ sites that we encourage future physicians to train in are gynaecological, prostate, genitourinary, breast, head and neck, skin, eye and gastrointestinal tumours.
What are the key requirements for applicants to be considered for the EuroBrachytherapy Fellowship, and how competitive is the selection process?
The fellowship is aimed at all trainees in radiation oncology or clinical oncology who are in their last year(s) of training or who have successfully graduated in
From the financial point of view, the fellows can be sponsored either by their own universities or by third parties. There is no expectation that a centre of excellence will fund fellows who come from outside the centre.
We are very happy also to offer an Elekta grant for a year, for which a clear selection process will be in place. I can only assume that the achievement of the grant may be a competitive endeavour.
We will try to accommodate all candidates who qualify for the fellowship within the available centres of training, provided that funding is in place.
Potential international fellows from outside Europe will be accepted only if there are positions available in the training centres and if they are able to bring their own funding.
How do the mentor and tutor roles contribute to the fellow's experience during the fellowship?
The mentor will belong to the GEC-ESTRO brachytherapy curriculum/site-specific working group and will guide the EuroBT Fellow for the duration of the fellowship. The mentor is expected to be in close communication with the fellow regarding the different steps in the trainee’s educational progress. They will take the role of the coach, will be available for advice and support, and will try to set up goals and directions with the fellow in order to build a successful and fulfilling pathway during and at the end of the training.
The tutor will be an experienced radiation oncologist in the field of brachytherapy from the centre of excellence at which the training takes place and in the field chosen by the fellow. The tutor will be responsible for the instruction of the fellow on-site and for the involvement of the fellow in the centre workflow, including the tumour boards and ideally in some research projects that are available at the centre. At the end of each rotation, the tutor will assess the fellow according to a short, standardised procedure.
Can you discuss the criteria for identifying "centres of excellence in training" and their role in shaping the fellowship experience?
Our goal is to prepare our EuroBT Fellows for the brachytherapy of tomorrow; therefore our definition of centres of excellence in training is comprehensive and precise. These centres should perform advanced and that preferably enrols
It is mandatory that in that centre, at least one procedure a week is carried out on the site of training, along with available interstitial procedures in a primary or salvage setting.
What is the EuroBT Fellowship curriculum like, and how does it cater to specific organ sites and competencies according to CANMEDS?
The EuroBT Fellowship curriculum teaches general and specific competencies that are related to each brachytherapy site.
The aim is that upon completion of the training programme, a EuroBT Fellow will be able to function as a competent specialist in brachytherapy who can perform enhanced practice in this area of focused competence within the scope of radiation oncology. The trainee must acquire a working knowledge of the theoretical and practical basis of brachytherapy. Fellows share a common set of competencies that are related to the treatment of cancer with brachytherapy, which each graduate applies to their distinct tumour site or technique. The shared proficiencies are identical to the CANMEDS competencies: medical expert, communicator, collaborator, leader, health advocate, scholar and professional.
Could you explain how fellows will obtain the EuroBT Fellowship certificate and the significance of the certificate of completion for different durations of training?
At the end of each rotation, the tutor will complete a standardised assessment of the fellow, based on the competencies included in the site-specific curriculum.
If the duration of training is only six months, the fellow will receive a certificate of completion of their subspecialty. If the duration of the fellowship is one year or more, the fellow will receive a diploma certificate of completion of the fellowship that states the period and organ(s) for which the fellowship was performed.
At the end of the fellowship, the physician will have gained valuable new clinical and academic skills to navigate the wider world and to attain success in their professional careers.
How do you anticipate the EuroBrachytherapy Fellowship contributing to the advancement of research and practice in brachytherapy?
The achievement of solid knowledge and hands-on experience during the fellowship will be the basis for further development and implementation of new techniques in clinical practice after the fellowship. Additionally, participation in research activities and preparation of manuscripts for publication is highly encouraged during the duration of the fellowship. The GEC-ESTRO education task force aims to create an alumni association to encourage further communication and cooperation at all levels among those who graduate from the EuroBT Fellowship.
For further information, please contact Alina Sturdza at alina.sturdza@meduniwien.ac.at or gec@estro.org.
Apply for the EuroBT Fellowship here.
More information on the Fellowship ESTRO - ESTRO Organisation Structure
Check out the centres of excellence here
Application deadline: 15 February 2024.
Alina Emiliana Sturdza, MD, FRCPC
Project leader for the EuroBT Fellowship and member of the education task force of GEC-ESTRO
Senior consultant and gynaecological cancer-site leader in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria